Is it possible to teach yourself a language from home?

What Qualifications do I need to teach English Language in Japan?

• I've had a rough time of recent with my fathers death and several rocky patches where I'd lost all ambition in life however I've always had a passion for Japan and Japanese Culture, I'm currently learning Japanese at home and doing fairly well however I want to live and work in Japan it's self. I came to the conclusion I'd like to run my own small English Language school in Japan, perhaps a few rooms where I and other teachers teach English as a second language to Japanese students. I'm currently 18 and seeking out an apprenticeship to help me find a career so that I can support myself through university without too many loans and such, I'm thinking I'll need to learn how to teach English as a second language but I'm not sure of what course or which university to go to, I might also polish my Japanese at university level too. So which courses would I need to get a job as an English teacher in Japan? Starting my own small school would probably come after years of teaching at a school already there. I'm currently residing in the UK, Wales to be specific and English is my primary language.

• Answer:

  If you search the archives you will find a ton of answers to questions very similar to this one. But I will give you a brief answer here. 1) To get any job in Japan, you must have a 4 year university degree (bachelor's degree). 2) If you want to work in an English Conversation school, (easiest job to get) what you major in absolutely doesn't matter. But, they often prefer you not to speak Japanese because they don't want you to use it in the classroom. All English, all the time. That's what the students pay for. You also don't need any training. They have all the materials ready for you. Look up ECC, AEON, and GEOS, they are some of the most famous. 3) If you want to work in a public school, you can only do so as an ALT (assistant language teacher). There are two programs for this (JET Program and INTERAC) that I know of. You will not be hired into a public school because it would require you to take a civil service exam and, as far as I know, you have to be a Japanese citizen to take it. 4) If you want a job that wants you to speak Japanese, you would want to move more towards the private school jobs (which are hard to find if you are not in Japan). Now here is my advice. I work as a Japanese translator in the U.S. But I have a master's degree in TESOL. If I had gone back and done college over with the intent of going to Japan right away, I would have: gotten an education degree while studying Japanese, gone directly into the JET Program, gotten a TESOL certificate while in that program, and only did it for one year while looking for a better job. Honestly, I had a full ride and I came out with some debt. Once you have a job its not that hard to pay off. Good Luck.